The Interview ***

I have now seen “The Interview”. Do I believe it is worth going to war over? I do not believe anything is worth violent conflict over, esspecially a comedic film. Did I find the movie funny? Hell yes. It is hilarious. I do not think the filmmakers intended anything more then to make us laugh as each character is depicted as an over the top example of the different types of personalities from Dictators to Talk Show hosts.

James Franco and Seth Rogan star as the host and producer of a TV show that basically follows celebrity gossup. We open with a hysterical interview with Eminem as he casually drops that he is gay. When they find out that the Supreme Leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, is a big fan of the show they decide to try and get an interview with him in an attempt to cover some real world news. Amazingly they are granted access. This comes with a request from the CIA to casually assassinate the dictator while they are there.

Kim Jong Un is depicted as a hard partying man child who seems misunderstood by the world. It is also revealed that he is a master manipulator as well as cruel and violent. Well maybe that last part is not such a surprise. Franco plays his character as a self depricating goof who prefers covering celebrity mishaps than anything meaningful. He gets close to Kim Jong Un at first. Kim even gets him a puppy like the one he had as a child which results in some hilarious lines while the guys are in peril.

The result is a movie that should be watched with a group of friends looking for some laughs. Nothing more, nothing less. I enjoyed it and I am left confused as to what all the hype and terrorist threats was about. One thing is for sure is that publicity like that cannot be purchased. Maybe this movie will become a cultural phenomenon. Probably not though.